Police Safely Resolve Tense Idaho Standoff
April 17--A Lewiston man is in custody and his 4-year-old daughter is safe after a tense, two-hour standoff ended peacefully Monday in Lewiston.
Jeremy Fitzgerald, 26, was arrested on charges of misdemeanor injury to a child and booked into the Nez Perce County Jail. Lewiston Police Capt. Tom Greene said 4-year-old Kaylee Fitzgerald was not injured, but was placed in a situation dangerous to her well-being.
Police were dispatched to Fitzgerald's apartment on the 600 block of Bryden Avenue at approximately 11:45 a.m. after neighbors reported hearing glass breaking. According to police, Fitzgerald had broken the windows of the apartment and was behaving erratically.
"He had no shirt on and would come to the window and yell at officers," Greene said.
Officers also learned Fitzgerald's daughter was in the apartment with him and he may have had weapons.
The girl's mother, Ashley Ison, was on the scene and reportedly told officers she is in a custody dispute with Fitzgerald over the child.
As a heavy rain fell, officers attempted to convince Fitzgerald to come out of the apartment, but he refused. Approximately six police vehicles and two ambulances were parked near the apartment, and one officer was armed with a shotgun.
"When you're dealing with somebody like that, you don't know what they're capable of," Greene said. "You can't assume because it's a close family member, they're not going to harm them."
After approximately two hours, police confronted Fitzgerald face-to-face in the apartment using a key obtained from his father. The child was removed from the apartment by Officer James Gump and returned to her mother. Fitzgerald was unarmed and surrendered peacefully to officers, Greene said.
Greene said police are in the process of obtaining a search warrant for Fitzgerald's apartment because a large amount of drug paraphernalia was observed inside.
"We think the use of drugs had a major impact on his behavior," Greene said.
Greene said he's not sure if Child Protective Services will become involved in the case.
"The mother told me they had a dispute over custody and he hadn't been complying," he said. "I don't see it as a protective issue."
Gaboury may be contacted
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